“The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one.”

― Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

"Why hello there! I was hoping to meet with one of your leaders about passing through your territory?"

I don't have much hope, but Semi-divines are smart, regardless of species. Mara claimed that Semi-Divine beings usually had the means to communicate in all languages.

The vast eye squinted at him, its large vertical pupil constricted to a fine line. The two of them floated, motionless for a few moments. Maybe I can shove my bracelet onto its tail? This thought was interrupted when the creature's massive frame suddenly began to move. In a swirl of water that left Vendak adrift, it swam at a speed that put fighter jets to shame. It bolted into the distance, and Vendak scratched his head.

That thing is fast but I think my aura must have scared it off...

Although he had been right in front of it, the snake had moved faster than his eyes could follow. Either that was a rather anti-social Semi-Divine, or Mara and the gang overestimated my power. With the speed displayed by the huge snake, he was certain that it could bully him quite easily.

A weight grew on his shoulders as he gazed in the direction where the serpent had disappeared. I need to figure out a better method of attack. He could follow the creature, but it might prove dangerous.

It might be stronger than me, but I've got something it doesn't.

His real advantage in this life so far wasn't his physical power. Instead, his greatest asset was his bizarre aura. Its ability to adapt and absorb energy was at the root of everything.

Back on the ship, I could dry myself in a few minutes. I have to speed up if it's going to have value in combat.

He had not had much time in this new life, but most of it had been spent puzzling over this body and its abilities. If anything, this is my golden finger, not that survival system. Its wishes were a seductive trap, and he would never trust it.

His body relaxed as he closed his eyes. wrapped in the calm waters. He let his mind follow the interactions and fluctuations of his aura as he drifted slowly with the gentle currents. The sheer amount of information he divined pressed against his consciousness. He generally filtered out this barrage of knowledge, as it took a toll on him, but now he opened himself to it.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

A thousand books carved themselves into his brain. The knowledge about his surroundings flowed into his mind, squeezed into place. It was a strange sensation... uncomfortable. The greater he actively connected to this data stream, the easier it was for him to understand what his ability did. At the same time, it filled Ven's memory with an absurd amount of data.

It's like I've got more memories about water molecules in my head than I do about being human.

Despite the strain it put on his sense of self, his mind slipped even deeper. The sensory information filled him, he waded through it like a wide river. With some effort, Ven manipulated his aura while submerged in this connection. He drifted in silence, still lost in his own world.

The water passed through his aura and slowly, it began to change. He focused on his newest technique, the one which dried the water on his clothes. His serene face twitched. Streams of bubbles rushed up and away from him in small clouds. Vendak frowned slightly beneath his mask. He understood how his latest technique functioned

This is more than a way to get rid of water after a swim...

The black mist around him absorbed the electromagnetic force that held the water molecules together. Ven turned it into heatless steam. It required him to get quite close, but he could use this to vaporize objects within his aura...theoretically.

Soon enough, I'll have a very powerful trump card!

An ability like this would have dominated his old worlds ten times over, making modern tech look like cave tools. Vendak settled in and continued to drift, his mind focused on this newly understood ability.

Thirty minutes passed, and the clouds of bubbles had become a stream that towered upwards. The waters around him spiraled, pulled into a vortex as the water fell toward his body. On contact with his black cloak, it instantly converted into gas, forced aside by yet more water, and jetted upwards from Vendak like a geyser.

Got it, Ven's mouth curved in a satisfied grin, I should be able to use this more reliably now!

He dispelled his aura's effect, and opened his eyes, ready to continue his journey. As he regained his vision of the world around him, Ven once again found himself face to face with an oversize reptilian eye. However, this time differed from the first.

You're a big fella, aren't you?

Ahead was a behemoth. A mountain with a vast orange eye, locked in place a few meters from his own. Its vertical pupil measured wider than the reach of his arms, even as it narrowed to focus on Ven's small form. Unlike the runaway snake from before, this serpent had a visible aura of its own. A soft golden glow, wrapped around its impossibly large body and released into the water like a gentle sun.

Ven raised his hand, mouth open to speak. The glowing light constricted against his aura. A weight that held him frozen and continued to rise. It shaped the water into unbreakable crystal. Ven struggled, yet even his aura failed him. Trapped... Helpless as a real Semi-Divine sea serpent loomed closer in his vision.

As the darkness closed in around the edge of sight, he cursed the creator of his system once more. It had caused him nothing but trouble.

What's the point? I've lived longer than a person should anyway.

A vision, a memory gave him pause. A pair of twin beastfolk stood tall, despite their chains. Behind them stood his brother, blood still fresh on his wounds.

Callum, Mara...

Vendak had lived two lives already. He no longer feared death, in fact, he often found the idea a comfort. From his experience, life was filled with suffering. Even in this beautiful world, power and violence stood above everything else. Like the brother he'd left behind, the beastfolk inspired him.

If I die here, I'll do it standing.

Ven shut out everything beyond his connection to his aura, eyes closed against the rising force. The ominous pressure slid out of his mind, willpower strained. A grind that scraped each nerve, hot charcoal pressed into flesh.

The shadowy black particles within his body shifted. Mouth parted in a vicious smile, Ven's eyelids slid open.

Let's try this again...